In the field of micromechanics, mechanical devices are fabricated which are on the scale of micrometers (i.e., approximately 1.times.10.sup.-6). In particular, electrically powered micrometer-sized micro-motors (or "micro-engines" as they are known) exist which are designed to provide rotational motion in order to drive a mechanical load. These devices are typically electrically powered and are generally constructed using surface machining techniques, which can be generally applicable to the micro, milli and macro domains. However, a similar mechanism may be designed with LIGA technology ("Lithographie Galvanoforming Abforming", an acronym which evolved from the Karlsruhe Nuclear Research Center in Germany). This type of device, for example, is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,631,514 to Garcia t al., titled "Microfabricated Microengine for Use as a Mechanical Drive and Power Source in the Microdomain and Fabrication Process" and is sufficient to drive a mechanical load at micrometer scale for a variety of end-use applications.
While applications using a micromachined mirror are found in the prior art (such as the article titled "Micromirrors Project Better Images", Byte magazine, July 1996), such mirrors are fabricated to remain substantially in the same plane as the plane the mirror was originally fabricated in. The invention disclosed herein differs from existing micromirror technology in several respects. First, until the present invention, micromirror technology attempted to rely on a rigid link to raise the mirror out of the plane of the wafer, but with great difficulty and varied results. Second, until the present invention, there was no practical way to mechanically move a micrometer-sized mirror up and out of the plane of the wafer, but rather, was done manually with a probe tip which typically resulted in damage to the mirror, the nearby fabricated structures or the wafer itself. Third, raising the micrometer-sized mirror manually was not a reliable procedure due to the unpredictable forces generated on the mirror structure and other nearby structures. Fourth, manually raising the mirror is impractible for almost all commercial applications. Fifth, prior art is devoid of technology which allows the mirror to be substantially raised out of the wafer's plane of fabrication. Finally, the planar structures created by surface micromachining present difficulties with developing a sufficient moment to move fabricated structures out of and into the x, y coordinate plane when actuated by those same planar structures, wherein the difficulty arises due to the short moment arms (in thickness direction of the z-coordinate axis) which are created during the fabrication process.
The present invention overcomes the prior art's deficiencies by providing an apparatus to selectively drive a specially designed output gear mechanism which, in turn through a series of linkage systems and other structures, engages a mirror to move the mirror out of and into the mirror's plane of fabrication by buckling. Similarly, the present invention allows selective operation of the mirror to any predefined angle in the x, y or z coordinate axis. The present invention is useful in certain industries (such as the defense industry) and is especially useful to redirect remotely located electromagnetic signals from an electromagnetic source such as an optical source having an optical beam diameter ranging from 100 to 400 micrometers. Consequently, the present invention may be utilized in nuclear detonation systems, conventional munitions detonation systems, optical scanners, in optical switching applications for fiberoptic communication systems, for assembly of other michromachinery and other related applications. For example, with the advent of fiber optic telecommunication systems has created the need for small, highly efficient, low-cost optical switches that are used to redirect optical signals such as provided by the present invention. Additionally, the present invention is useful in other applications requiring larger switching systems.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a device for redirecting optical signals comprising a primary driver means, a linkage system attached to the primary driver means to amplify the input force from the primary driver means, a pusher rod rotatably coupled to the linkage system, a flexible link element connected to the pusher rod and adapted to buckle upon a predetermined force applied by the pusher rod and a mirror being coupled to the pusher rod.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a micrometer-sized device adapted to redirect signals by use of a mirror structure and a flexible link adapted to buckle, both the flexible link and the mirror structure fabricated from the plane of a wafer and capable of movement into or out of the wafer's plane of fabrication.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a device for redirecting electromagnetic signals including a driver means adapted to provide a predetermined force, a linkage system attached to the primary driver means, a pusher rod in mechanical communication with the linkage system, a flexible link element in mechanical communication with the linkage system and adapted to buckle upon the predetermined force, a pusher rod in mechanical communication with the flexible link element and a micrometer-sized mirror in mechanical communication with the pusher rod.
It is a further object of the present invention to disclose a device adapted to redirect electromagnetic signals by use of a movable, deformable micrometer mirror structure without any manual intervention.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a device fabricated on a substrate in the microdomain for redirecting signals including a flexible link element adapted to buckle upon a predetermined force applied by a pusher rod to thereby raise a micrometer fabricated mirror into a preselected position above the plane of the fabricated substrate into a third coordinate dimension without any manual intervention.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a device for redirecting signals having a mirror structure fabricated from the plane of a wafer and capable of movement into or out of the wafer's plane of fabrication, the mirror structure including at least one support structure attached to the wafer, to thereby permit rotation of the mirror structure out of the plane of the wafer by support structure bending.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a micrometer-sized device for redirecting signals having a mirror structure fabricated from the plane of a wafer and capable of movement into or out of the wafer's plane of fabrication, the mirror structure attached at one end to the wafer by at least one support structure, and at the other end, attached to a flexible link by a plurality of hinges, to thereby allow rotation of the mirror structure.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for redirecting electrical signals between two substrates, the invention including a contact structure fabricated from the plane of a first wafer and in electrical communication with an electical circuit fabricated on the first wafer, the contact structure being capable of movement into or out of the first wafer's plane of fabrication so as to electrically contact a second electrical circuit fabricated on a second wafer, thereby allowing redirection of an electrical signal between two or more wafers.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a device for redirecting electrical signals on a wafer, the invention including a contact structure fabricated from the plane of a wafer and in electrical communication with an electical circuit fabricated on the wafer, the contact structure being capable of movement within the first wafer's plane of fabrication so as to electrically contact a second electrical circuit fabricated on the wafer, thereby allowing redirection of an electrical signal between two or more electrical circuits fabricated on the same wafer.